Judgment – Romans 14:4
Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
“Do not judge,” says the Lord.[1] Clear, no ambiguity, no need for interpretation, and yet the temptation to ignore the Lord’s instruction by judging our fellow sojourners is great. Spiritual pride and indignation rise up to urge us on, but the Spirit empowers us to resist this temptation.
How foolishly we act when we sit in judgment[2] since we are unable to know another’s intentions. We cannot see into a person’s heart nor understand the work the Lord is doing within it; therefore, we cannot judge wisely. God alone can weigh the intents of those created in His image. In His love, understanding, and mercy, He sees into our hearts with the foreknowledge of the good work His perfecting grace is accomplishing in us, for He is transforming us, conforming our hearts to be like His own heart.
How delusional we are to apply a double standard in condemning others for the things we do ourselves, often to a greater degree.[3] How destructive we are to allow judgment to cripple relationships, damage our witness for Christ, deflect our attention from our own sin, and bring harsh judgment upon ourselves.[4] How sinful is our behavior when we defy the explicit instruction of the Lord not to judge, how deep is the chasm it creates between God and ourselves, and how profound is our loss since blatant sin prevents our prayers from having power.[5]
Judging others is a worthless, yet costly pursuit. So then, not wanting to rain judgment down on our own heads, how should we respond to the masses of hardhearted sinners we encounter every day? How else, but to follow Jesus’ teaching to love our neighbors as ourselves, to pray for them, and to allow the pure incense of our petitions to rise to the heavens before the our God, the Father of mercy. Considering our own hardhearted sinfulness, we have no room to judge others. Rather we should keep our eyes on Jesus and set our hope on becoming more like Him.
Instead of judging, entrust your
fellow travelers to Jesus, bringing every judgmental thought captive to Him,
seeking a deeper love for Him. Devote
yourself to upholding His cause, and He will use you to deliver a message of
truth to those upon whom His judgment will fall if they do not turn to Him and
receive His gift of salvation.[6]
[1] Matthew 7:1
[2] Proverbs 11:12
[3] Romans 2:1
[4] Matthew 7:2
[5] Isaiah 1:15
[6] Matthew 25:41-46
